The big sleep: before and after

So there was I thinking I didn't have jet lag.

I'd only had a few hours' sleep but on Friday I went into the city to meet up with a friend who is in Austin reviewing SXSW. I learnt a few things.
1) Buses in Austin are freezing. I was wearing summer clothes and the bus temp was about 6 degrees C. This was a relief at first, but in the end I had to get off early because it was so cold! I am now suffering from some kind of air-con-related lurgy :(
2) The shops here give you booze! I was innocently browsing away when a sales assistant presented me with a Margarita, then carried all the stuff I'd selected to the changing rooms. If only they did this in the UK... *sighs*
3) American people really are amazingly friendly. And not in a creepy way. (Evidence below.)

After my shopping trip I found a cafe to sit in for a while. It had a European-style layout with a semi-circle bar to one side. I sat at the bar opposite a group of friends watching the basketball on TV, and next to a woman eating calamari. After a while she left. I was absorbed in my paper when a movement made me look up. One of the basketball-watching-guys was eating the woman's leftover calamari! It was like catching someone picking their nose or something. Hilarious.

So we had a few drinks and lots of photos were taken (because you know how much I looove having my photo taken). Due to my inability to recall names I only remember Jenny and Anthony, who lives in Austin and is my new fb friend, but the whole group were brilliant and so welcoming.

The rest of the night went something like this. Went to see some bands; went to Coyote Ugly (completely Mischa's idea); hung out on a balcony with a woman who lives in a treehouse (there is a treehouse commune about an hour away from Austin, apparently); was badly and shamefully beaten at air hockey; left bar to get taxi, spent 1.5 hours trying to get a taxi aided by a very nice man with a giant beard called Brian (the man not the beard); finally got home at 3am.

Then I lay awake for ages before finally getting a few hours sleep. At lunchtime I ventured out for a walk and to get some food, came home and forced myself to stay up until 7pm, when I went to bed and slept for 13 hours straight!

Feeling lots better today, unsuprisingly. I've just skyped Mum, Dad and Alex and am now catching up with various radio 4 and 6 music programmes I've missed. Makes me feel a lot less homesick.

More soon. Over and out,

K